Sep 25, 2018: On a glorious day in France, the weather played second fiddle to the golf on display during the 11th Junior Ryder Cup at Golf Disneyland at Disneyland Paris. The United States stretched a two-point morning foursomes lead over Europe into a 7 1/2-4 1/2 margin after Monday afternoon mixed four-balls, with Tuesday Singles set to decide the victor.
As defending Champion, the U.S. needs 12 points overall to clinch, whereas Europe needs 12 1/2. So, the American squad is 4 1/2 points away from glory, while Europe must stage an 8-point rally to capture the 2018 Junior Ryder Cup.
The last two matches of the day set the stage for what is shaping up as a classic 11th Junior Ryder Cup.
In the afternoon four-balls, Cole Ponich, 18, of Farmington, Utah, and Alexa Pano, 14, of Lake Worth, Florida, put on a display that dropped both mouths and putts, playing 12-under par for 17 holes, as they made clutch shot after clutch shot to hold off David Puig and Emma Spitz 2&1.
Ponich unleashed a miraculous birdie chip from five yards in front of the green over a mound on No. 16 to set the stage for Pano to close out on No. 17 with a 25-foot laser of a birdie putt.
“I literally picked my landing area and hit it within the size of a ball spot,” said Ponich. “When I saw that, I said, ‘It’s in!'”
“That chip-in was the greatest moment on a golf course I’ve ever seen,” described Pano. “It was big.”
But just when you thought that was the match of the day, Europe came back in the final group to secure a point that keeps them within striking range in dramatic fashion, as England’s Annabell Fuller drilled a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 17 in the middle of a birdie barrage with playing partner Robin Tiger Williams to stay 1-up over America’s Lucy Li and Michael Thorbjornsen. Li had earlier provided fireworks on No. 15 with a holed bunker shot for eagle.
The drama that ensued on No. 18 not only kept Europe within shouting distance but was a display of golf that was surreal. First, Li’s 100-yard approach shot landed a foot from the pin. Then, Williams hit his approach to 8-feet. And to top it off, Fuller nearly sank her approach as it rolled to the lip of the cup. After birdie concessions, Europe earned a critical point.
“You can’t ask for any more drama; any more golf than that,” said United States Captain Allen Wronowski, PGA. “The kids on both sides played so well. It was a perfect day. If you would tell me that we would have a three-point lead with the golf that’s been played today on both sides, I would certainly take it.”
Both teams realized that it was a day to remember some beautiful golf by the game’s next great generation.
“It was a long day for us, and all of the team fought so well,” said European Captain Maïtena Alsuguren. “Unfortunately, we are behind but they were all terrific matches, and we finished on a positive which is very important, as we are in a position to be able to fight again.”
PGA of America
